History of PCJ: Note: This is a journal of events sponsored or endorsed by the People’s Coalition for Justice, as well as major decisions made by the PCJ. Updates coming soon! 1/27/00 - First Community Meeting for the PCJ held at SCCC. A panel of speakers addressed the need for a civilian review board. Panelists included Dustin Washington (PCJ), Gary Owens, Rev. Dr. Jeffrey (New Hope Baptist Church), Lynne Wilson (Attorney), Jennifer Gardipee (Tukwila Students for Peace and Justice), Mike Yarrow (FOR), Oscar Eason, Jr. (NAACP), Raul Miranda (family of police brutality victim Eddie Anderson), Ms. Ophelia Ealy (Michael Randall Ealy Social Justice Foundation). 2/11 - Rally and March for a Civilian Review Board held at SCCC. Speakers included Rev. Jeffrey, Oscar Eason, Jr, Harriet Walden and others. 2/29 -Rally and March held at SCCC to protest the verdict in the Amadou Diallo case in New York. 3/27 - Dick Burton, Dustin Washington and Delila Leber met with Charlie McAteer, City Councilmember Judy Nicastro’s aide. We presented information about our group and asked for her support. 4/13 - PCJ held a candlelight vigil for a civilian review board. On 4/12, Seattle Police shot and killed David Walker. Therefore, the previously planned vigil also recognized and mourned David Walker’s murder. The Seattle Police Department broke an oral agreement with the PCJ, and attempted to divert the march from the destination of the East Precinct. The Police Department cut off the path to the Precinct at 11th with police cars. Reverend Jeffrey and others continued past the cars, and the Police began to beat Rev. Jeffrey in the stomach and ribs with their nightsticks. They isolated him between two lines of yellow Police tape, and claimed that he had crossed their line. The crowd continued to follow Rev. Jeffrey, and met with a line of officers clad in riot gear, who were not wearing badge numbers or names. Police continued to beat Rev. Jeffrey, as he spoke through a bullhorn to the crowd of about 75-100 people. Many media crews video taped the Police beating Rev. Jeffrey, and aired it as the top story on the news that night. [Note: subsequent to this incident, the Lieutenant in charge of the East Precinct was “transferred” to another unit. She was an African-American woman who was off duty at the time of the March. She felt that she was unjustly transferred due to racism.] 5/19 - PCJ members participated in a Unification meeting called by youth involved in the PCJ and the Youth Undoing Institutionalized Racism program. The meeting was facilitated by Mary Flowers and Ron Chisom, of the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, and addressed the divisions and tensions within the community. Larry Gossett, Tony Orange, James Kelly, Harriet Walden and approximately 50 others were in attendance. A racist article was written about that meeting and the tensions it addressed in The Stranger the following week. 5/23 - Dick Burton presented a proposal to a local union meeting of the King County Labor Council to request their endorsement for the People’s March against Police Brutality. A tentative resolution was passed, at the local union meeting that Dick Burton belongs to (6 for, 4 against, 2 abstentions). Dustin Washington and Mike Yarrow were also present. 5/25 - Dustin Washington and Delila Leber presented information about police brutality and the PCJ to students at Shoreline Community College. 5/29 - PCJ Community Meeting was held. Mary Flowers and Martin Friedman facilitated a mini-workshop on principles of anti-racist organizing based on the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond. 6/6 - A steering committee meeting was held, followed by a Direct Action subcommittee meeting. Plans were finalized for the 6/15 People’s March against Police Brutality. On June 7, at 2:00 PM, the King County Labor Council Executive Board met and considered a proposal for endorsement. Dick presented the proposal with an ally from the local union. The Board decided to table the discussion, which effectively meant that they decided not to endorse the People’s March. Some of the concerns raised were related to the proposed Safeway boycott that the PCJ eventually decided not to do, and there was a concern that the PCJ was working with too broad a coalition (one member of the KCLC Board felt that we should be focusing solely on Black men as they are disproportionately affected by police brutality). 6/16 Sent an update to the email list regarding the People's March against Police Brutality (held 6/15). We had incredible weather, and a decent turnout. We estimate that there were at least 300-350 people there at the beginning of the march. We had speakers Rev. Jeffrey (New Hope Baptist Church), Dustin Washington (PCJ), Soya Jung (Washington Alliance for Immigrant and Refugee Justice), Sarah Luthens (OutFront Labor Coalition), Rev. Harriet Walden (Mothers for Police Accountability), King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, and Mike Yarrow (FOR). We had opening readings by Elisa Miranda and Jennifer Gardipee, and Khalil Ayes emceed the event. We marched down Yesler to 12th, and then down 12th until we got to the East Precinct. We stopped to chant peacefully at the Precinct, but apparently the police wanted us to leave sooner because they followed us the rest of the way to Seattle Central Community College with an APV (a tank). There was a peaceful yet determined spirit and good work by the peacekeepers to maintain the flow. We ended at SCCC with a celebration. Performing were: Khalil, Rodney Camarce (from the group Isangmahal), Jacque Larrainzar, and we had a skit on police brutality. There was little media coverage. KIRO 7 was there, and they reportedly ran a brief clip from the march on Saturday morning following the march. The Seattle Weekly had good coverage of the March and our group in its June 28th issue (in its cover story). 6/19 - We requested that others join the People's Coalition for Justice in our support for the OutFront Labor Coalition at the Pride March on Sunday, June 25, at 10:30 AM. Some members marched with the labor contigent in the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Pride Parade & Freedom Rally. 6/22 - Lydia Cabasco and other International District groups mobilized a succesful protest against the McDonalds' plan for invasion of the ID. McD's decided not to move on their plans because of their community pressure. PCJ endorsed and actively supported the demonstration. Here is the Seattle Times article: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/local/html98/mcdo23m_20000623.html 6/26 - PCJ collaborated with the Drive to Survive Committee to picket against the impound ordinance, targeting Heidi Wills and Ron Sims before Wills formally voted to maintain the ordinance. The picket was held on MONDAY, JUNE 26 from 1 to 2 PM, outside of the Municipal Building on 4th St (between Cherry and James). The vote was held in Council Chambers, on the 11th Floor the same afternoon. Many stayed for the vote and caused a disruption once the majority vote was recorded to maintain the impound ordinance. The City Council meeting stopped due to the disruption and eventually protesters left. 6/29 - Direct Action Subcommittee Meeting held, with Lisa Daugaard, Bob Barnes, Hop Hopkins and others, to discuss next steps for our efforts to achieve a meaningful and independent civilian review board. Week of 7/10-7/17 - The Inquest was going on for the murder of David Walker in the King County Courthouse. We encouraged PCJ members to attend to support the Walker family, especially when the officer who killed him (Tommy Doran) gave his testimony on Friday afternoon (7/14). 7/13 - Reverend Jeffrey, KL Shannon, Dustin Washington and Dick Burton of the People's Coalition for Justice met with City Councilmember Judy Nicastro, and asked her to vote against the new Seattle Police Guild contract. We asked her to oppose the new contract due to the weak and ineffective measures agreed upon by the City and the Guild regarding the Guild's internal investigation structure and policies. The City Council was going to vote on the Guild contract this week, and we asked her to oppose it to make a strong stance for an independent civilian review board. 7/17 Judy Nicastro explained to Dustin that she will not vote against the Guild contract because she worked to get some of the more positive aspects included, and she did not want to lose that work. 7/18: The PCJ Steering Committee met to discuss and formulate a Nominating Committee that will assist in the election and establishment of our own civilian review board. The Nominating Committee will nominate candidates for the civilian review board, and we will then put those candidates to a vote in the community (at grocery stores, etc.). 7/18 - The City Council held a non-public hearing to meet with the three candidates for a new Police Chief. We sent the Criteria established at a PCJ community meeting (in February) for the Selection of a new Police Chief to Councilmembers Nicastro and Licata, with the hope that they will ask questions reflective of our concerns in that hearing and report back to the group about each candidate's response. Once a new Chief of Police is selected, the PCJ will release a Racial Justice Report Card on the Chief based on our concerns. 7/19 - PCJ held a press conference to denounce the Guild contract which is expected to be ratified by the City Council on Tuesday. The Guild Contract includes a piece about a revised internal investigation component that will not be any more effective than the current system. In essence, we view the new component as an attempt by the Mayor to pacify discontent regarding the need for a civilian review board without making any dramatic changes. 7/27 - Death Penalty forum held at the New Hope Baptist Church, sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee, organized by Dustin Washington. Speakers included: Rev. Jeffrey (pastor of New Hope), Rev. Harriet Walden (of Mothers for Police Accountability), an advocate for the end to the death penalty who is the wife of a murder victim, members of the Coaliton to End the Death Penalty, members of the Washington Association to End the Death Penalty, and others. 7/26 - PCJ announced at a press conference that we are planning to establish a community-based independent civilian review board. PCJ announced that we would be accepting resumes and statements of philosophy/intent from anyone interested in being on the Nominating Committee through September 30, 2000. Once established, a Nominating Committee would design criteria for members of the Community Review Board and facilitate a similar process of reviewing candidates for nomination to the community election of civilian review board members. There would then be an Election Committee established, separate from the Nominating Committee, to oversee the community elections and count the votes. Outreach was also initiated via flyers, press releases, email lists, etc. ----- 7/31 - The PCJ decided to continue to work with the Drive to Survive Committee and City Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck on the Racial Profiling initiatives being proposed. We decided to initiate a campaign to push Councilmembers to take the issues of racism more seriously, and use the current attention on Racial Profiling as the main issue. We want to hold a community meeting to report back from our group and other organizations on all of the issues relating to racism that have been raised and denied by City Council this year. We will link the different issues of the impound ordinance, the need for an independent civilian review board, racial profiling, and others, to give support to those Councilmembers who have worked with community members on proposals and to pressure the less friendly Councilmembers to move forward. Some Councilmembers have not been out to “visit” the communities of color in this city for years, if ever, and not surprisingly, those same Councilmembers have been dismissive and disrespectful in hearings dealing with the various manifestations of institutionalized racism. That is unacceptable and we need to hold them accountable. AFSC (American Friends Service Committee) and PCJ are working on bringing MLK III or another son of Martin Luther King, Jr., to speak at a series of events in Seattle sometime in the next month. 8/16: PCJ presents City Council President Margaret Pageler with a Certificate of Shame for failing to denounce the recent Officer of the Month award given to Officer Tommie Doran by the Police Guild (Doran was the officer who shot and killed David Walker in 4/00). A letter denouncing the Police Guild was circulated by Councilmember Nicastro’s office, but only McIver, Steinbrueck and Licata signed on. 8/21: Joint meeting between PCJ and the Drive to Survive Committee steering members to debrief joint action and plan for future collaboration. 8/21: (endorsed by PCJ) Protest against the Boy Scouts. The rally was held at Martin Luther King Park and protesters then marched to the Boy Scout office. 8/27: PCJ held a School Supplies Giveaway at Spruce Park, across from the New Hope Baptist Church. Many community members and children attended. We gave away all of the packages prepared with school supplies, and held a raffle for special gifts. We had a BBQ (co-sponsored by the Mentor Program of New Hope Church) and children played games in the park. We gave away an estimated $300 worth of school supplies (bought with money donated for this purpose). We also helped people to fill out voter registration forms. 9/14: Dustin Washington and Rev. Jeffrey, among others, participated in the formation of the Seattle Street Connections, which is an effort to bring gang leaders in the community together to end gang violence by providing support and alternatives to youth involved. 9/20: Racial Profiling Rally held at City Hall (Municipal Building) at 1 PM, to push for concrete legislation to end racial profiling. The City Council was supposed to address a resolution to end racial profiling at their meeting at 2 PM that day, but that agenda item was dropped at the last minute. There were approximately 20 protesters, who attended the Council Meeting in protest of the lack of initiative to end racial profiling. The City Attorney’s office informed protesters that the resolution was postponed because the City Attorney’s office needed to make some changes to the resolution. They also stated that the resolution would do nothing more than condemn racial profiling, in order to protect the City against related lawsuits. 9/20: Dustin Washington spoke to the South Shore Community Council about the People’s Coalition for Justice, accompanied by Martin Friedman of the Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites. 9/21: Members of the group Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites (CARW) met with Council President Margaret Pageler’s Chief of Staff, Linda Stores, and another City employee, Mary Denzel, at the request of the People’s Coalition for Justice, to address Pageler’s racist voting record and behavior. Six CARW supporters met with them for two hours, and were received with a very defensive attitude. Key issues addressed included: Pageler’s support for the racist and classist Auto Impound Ordinance, Pageler’s failure to follow through on a promise made to the PCJ to hold a public meeting in the Black community to hear concerns (particularly following the police killing of David Walker and the subsequent Police Guild award to Officer Doran), Pageler’s failure to make any public stance against the Officer of the Month Award given to Officer Doran by the Police Guild, and Pageler’s lack of support (and her ridicule) of the need to end racial profiling. A meeting with Pageler herself was scheduled for Oct. 19. 9/25: Three members of the Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites met with Councilmember (and Public Safety Committee chair) Jim Compton’s three aides, in response to his request to meet with Dustin Washington (PCJ), at Dustin’s request. The CARW members raised criticisms of the proposed racial profiling legislation and placed the issue within the larger context of institutionalized racism. 10/2: PCJ Steering Committee met and finalized plans for the Nominating Committee for the Community Police Review Board, and prepared for the first meeting with the Committee. They also prepared a new structure for PCJ, including regular Subcommittee meetings (Direct Action, Education/Outreach, and Service) and a Community Meeting in November. 10/4: PCJ called for people to attend the City Council Public Safety Committee Hearing where they would finally be voting on the empty racial profiling resolution at 3 PM. All 8 Council members attended and voted to pass the resolution condemning racial profiling and calling for an 18-month study. The study will cost $200,000 and will be conducted by a Council-appointed civilian task force. PCJ criticized the Council’s failure to acknowledge that racial profiling exists and that it is systematic. PCJ also called for immediate measures to end racial profiling instead of waiting another 18 months for the results of yet another study confirming that it exists. PCJ supporters held up signs calling for action. 10/9: (endorsed by PCJ) Anti-Columbus Day Event - 500 Years of Oppression/500 Years of Resistance - Sponsored by the Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites. Speakers/poetry at Victor Steinbrueck Park, then there was a march through Westlake Plaza and back. 10/10: Subcommittee meetings were held: Direct Action and Education/Outreach. 10/19: First meeting of the Nominating Committee for our Community Police Review Board. 10/22: (endorsed by PCJ) October 22 National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and Criminalization of a Generation - Rally/March held at the Ebenezer AME Zion Church. 10/24: 5:30 - PCJ Subcommittees met (Direct Action and Education/Outreach) 7:30 - AFSC/PCJ sponsored an event with guest speaker from Mauritania. It was the first stop on the US Anti-Slavery Speaking Tour for Messaoud Ould Boulkheir. Mr. Boulkheir is the president of El Hor, the oldest anti-slavery organization in Mauritania. He is a former slave.